Neill-Wycik Co-operative Collegehttp://neill-wycik.coop
At Home Together / In The Heart of the CityTue, 30 Apr 2019 15:04:48 +0000en-CAhourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.7.13http://neill-wycik.coop/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/cropped-Neill-Wycik-Basic-Black-and-White-Rounded-32x32.pngNeill-Wycik Co-operative Collegehttp://neill-wycik.coop
3232Stitch ‘n’ Bitch – get craftyhttp://neill-wycik.coop/blog/2019/04/30/stitch-n-bitch-get-crafty/
http://neill-wycik.coop/blog/2019/04/30/stitch-n-bitch-get-crafty/#respondTue, 30 Apr 2019 15:02:26 +0000http://neill-wycik.coop/?p=729By Emily Sears April 18th offered a course on crocheting during Neill-Wycik’s Stitch ‘n’ Bitch event. In the third instalment of this series, participants who registered ahead were able to […]

April 18th offered a course on crocheting during Neill-Wycik’s Stitch ‘n’ Bitch event. In the third instalment of this series, participants who registered ahead were able to make a washcloth, also known as a granny square. A basic project, granny squares can be used on their own as dishcloths or can be combined together to create items as large as blankets. Members involved in the crocheting all showed great talent, and were able to follow along with the tutorial video with relative ease.

Since I am a self-proclaimed Crafty Person ™, when I was offered the opportunity to join the action, I decided to give it a go. After all, I made an entire macramé wall hanging in a single night, how hard could crocheting be? I should have learned from my brief stint learning to knit a few years ago because the answer is that it is incredibly difficult. Not my forte. Though the lead CA (community assistant) of the event really tried to help me out, I lacked the coordination to really pull off anything beyond a simple stitch. It took me about twenty minutes to learn that, and I was nowhere near the skill level of those around me. While the event was not something that I particularly excelled at, it was great to see a group of like-minded individuals come together and be creative.

All in all, if you’ve got time to kill and some moderate skill in a yarn-wielding field, Stitch ‘n’ Bitch is a great place to get some new ideas. Keep an eye out for posters to join a great group of people trying to be as crafty as possible.

]]>http://neill-wycik.coop/blog/2019/04/30/stitch-n-bitch-get-crafty/feed/0Take the stairs!http://neill-wycik.coop/blog/2019/04/10/take-the-stairs/
http://neill-wycik.coop/blog/2019/04/10/take-the-stairs/#respondWed, 10 Apr 2019 15:41:13 +0000http://neill-wycik.coop/?p=716By: Alexandra Blaszczak Hey Neill-Wycik! It’s no secret that the elevators in our building have been less than optimal in the last few years taking forever to get you to […]

It’s no secret that the elevators in our building have been less than optimal in the last few years taking forever to get you to where you want to go. With exam period coming up, all you students may have some difficulty finding time to go to the gym to work on those summer bodies (summer is creeping up sooner than we think!). I know we’ve heard this all before, but I strongly suggest making the effort to take the stairs every now and then! Some of the benefits of taking the stairs are:

It’s totally and completely free!

Can be done by almost anyone, regardless of fitness level

Burns more calories than jogging

Helps the body provide endorphins – the hormone known for creating a sense of happiness in our minds

Can be a great study break and stress-buster

Can help build bone strength and target common problem areas such as calves, thighs, buttocks and stomach

You don’t have to wait for that slow Neill Wycik elevator!

Some of my friends and I have started a stairs/steps challenge to compete against one another and start a little friendly competition. You can use the iPhone health app to track your steps and stories climbed, but I would also suggest the app Stridekick (which is totally free!) as you can add team members straight to the app and track each others’ progress… Also, you can’t fool the system by swinging your phone around, get steppin’ Wycik!

]]>http://neill-wycik.coop/blog/2019/04/10/take-the-stairs/feed/0A look back at my year at Neill-Wycikhttp://neill-wycik.coop/blog/2019/04/10/look-back-year-neill-wycik/
http://neill-wycik.coop/blog/2019/04/10/look-back-year-neill-wycik/#respondWed, 10 Apr 2019 15:39:27 +0000http://neill-wycik.coop/?p=713By: Timothy Zoleta Moving into NW was an exciting experience that harboured numerous opportunities. The building brought life and character towards students from all ranges across the downtown area. My […]

Moving into NW was an exciting experience that harboured numerous opportunities. The building brought life and character towards students from all ranges across the downtown area. My school year experience at NW was nothing less than great, as I’ve had the opportunity to meet marvellous individuals. NW taught me how to become more independent and to solve multiple challenges throughout my 8 months. I felt the community that NW created was opening and accepting of new peers. Through multiple events, I’ve seen the compassion and willingness to educate the occupants residing at NW. Events such as charities, pizza parties, and Eco Green nights enhanced my overall experience. My school year wouldn’t have been the same without living with my current roommates. Although, meeting these individuals in September, I feel we have all grown from these encounters. Partying and having good conversations turned these strangers into friends.

The final year of studies often carries tremendous stress throughout the terms. NW provided multiple ways to cope with these challenges by giving back to students. One of my favourite parts of the morning was greeting the friendly staff and picking up a free smoothie from the front desk. Even though Neil isn’t perfect, this building allowed me to network and associate with multiple students from different areas of studies. My only regret was that I was unable to attend several events due to my busy schedule. My overall study year at Neil was very memorable and I was fortunate enough to be a part of this wonderful community.

]]>http://neill-wycik.coop/blog/2019/04/10/look-back-year-neill-wycik/feed/0Coffee House is back!http://neill-wycik.coop/blog/2019/04/10/coffee-house-back/
http://neill-wycik.coop/blog/2019/04/10/coffee-house-back/#respondWed, 10 Apr 2019 15:37:38 +0000http://neill-wycik.coop/?p=711By: Emily Sears March 28 marked the return of Coffee House! An honoured tradition at Neill-Wycik, it was brought back from a recent hiatus and featured a bevy of talented […]

March 28 marked the return of Coffee House! An honoured tradition at Neill-Wycik, it was brought back from a recent hiatus and featured a bevy of talented performers. Despite getting off to a slightly late start, it was made enjoyable with the help of some jazz music.

Audience members were first treated with Claire Stanley’s poem about her very own Neill-Wycik roommate. There were many jokes about messy rooms and lack of garbage disposal, however, the most iconic line? “[She walked] fresh out of Sephora looking like Ru Paul.”

Following the only piece of poetry of the night, the rest of the event was geared towards music.

First up, Carson Cass was up with a cover of The Animals’ 1964 song House of the Rising Sun. Boasting a clear and deep lower vocal range and obvious skill on the guitar, his cover was a great introduction to the talent Neill-Wycik has to offer.

After a short break, Michael Esedafe pulled out not only a cover, but also an original song. Despite having been written originally for piano, his version on the guitar was nothing short of impressive. Holding smooth and steady tones, it was truly an instance of someone pouring their heart and soul into a piece of music. It was after his performance that the Coffee House was called to an end.

However, one last performer came forward just as everyone had started to pack up. Imani Walker, armed with her laptop and a classic Adele song made her way up to the front of the room. She provided a killer vocal range of Make You Feel My Love, the 2008 cover of the 1997 original, reminiscent of the artist herself.

Here’s to hoping Coffee House is back for the near future, with more of Neill-Wycik’s talent coming forward to showcase their skills!

]]>http://neill-wycik.coop/blog/2019/04/10/coffee-house-back/feed/0Nothing but Sportsmanship and Skill at Neill-Wycik Chess Tournamenthttp://neill-wycik.coop/blog/2019/04/10/nothing-sportsmanship-skill-neill-wycik-chess-tournament/
http://neill-wycik.coop/blog/2019/04/10/nothing-sportsmanship-skill-neill-wycik-chess-tournament/#respondWed, 10 Apr 2019 15:36:28 +0000http://neill-wycik.coop/?p=708By: Lauren Beazley On March 29 a chess tournament was held in the games room, hosted by CA Idi Qinami. Many members of Neill-Wycik signed up to challenge their chess […]

On March 29 a chess tournament was held in the games room, hosted by CA Idi Qinami. Many members of Neill-Wycik signed up to challenge their chess skills in a round-robin style match. The competitors and spectators were generous with the selection of food that they brought, allowing for a diverse snack option. Between the music, the food and the people, it was sure to be a fun evening from the start!

There were several intense matches, the first of which lasted five minutes and the following qualifying matches being 10 minutes a piece. The members that played were captivating in their concentration and consideration during the matches. After an accidental watch-reset, one round was forced to a rematch which was one of the more heated moments of the evening. Whilst member after member were being bested despite a valiant effort, a pool game broke out adding another layer of competition to the evening. The tournament took a surprise turn during the final match when after several intense minutes, Kian Paya and Vlad Svitilnikov were forced to a draw. They went on to unofficially settle the tie in good faith, showing commendable sportsmanship!

All in all, it was a much more interesting night than one may initially expect when they hear “chess tournament”. Even if you didn’t know how to play chess, members were willing to sit with you and indulge the will to learn. If you’re available, I would definitely recommend checking out future tournaments (past events have included similar round robin style games like foosball).

Feature photo: Members competing in an intense game of chess at the Neill-Wycik chess tournament (Lauren Beazley).

]]>http://neill-wycik.coop/blog/2019/04/10/nothing-sportsmanship-skill-neill-wycik-chess-tournament/feed/0What Smoothie Club Is and Why It’s So Great!http://neill-wycik.coop/blog/2019/03/15/smoothie-club-great/
http://neill-wycik.coop/blog/2019/03/15/smoothie-club-great/#respondFri, 15 Mar 2019 04:40:59 +0000http://neill-wycik.coop/?p=706With the efforts and generous donations of Neill-Wycik members, nutritious smoothies were given out for free on Thursday mornings by 9:00AM. This initiative is known as the Smoothie Club. This […]

]]>With the efforts and generous donations of Neill-Wycik members, nutritious smoothies were given out for free on Thursday mornings by 9:00AM. This initiative is known as the Smoothie Club.

This past Smoothie Club began production at 8:20AM. Three volunteers woke up early in the morning to serve a variety of homemade smoothies to the early risers. This week was particularly special—not only were the smoothies made to fight the winter blues, there were also free pastries for everyone! There was a selection of brownies, tarts, cinnamon buns and more.

For the smoothies this week, there were choices of red berries, mixed berries or blueberry smoothies! They are made with unsweetened almond milk, juice and lots of love to kickstart your day!

They handed out over 3 dozen smoothies this week, keep your eyes peeled for the next Smoothie Club in the lobby and grab yours next time!

This initiative would not be possible without its volunteers and generous donations. Here at Neill-Wycik, we support a healthy lifestyle!

]]>http://neill-wycik.coop/blog/2019/03/15/smoothie-club-great/feed/0My Dinner Club Experiencehttp://neill-wycik.coop/blog/2019/03/15/dinner-club-experience/
http://neill-wycik.coop/blog/2019/03/15/dinner-club-experience/#respondFri, 15 Mar 2019 04:32:49 +0000http://neill-wycik.coop/?p=702By: Jermaine Williams When I first moved away from home for university in Toronto, I quit family dinner cold turkey. Not to say I came from a family of children […]

When I first moved away from home for university in Toronto, I quit family dinner cold turkey. Not to say I came from a family of children and parents who enjoyed chilled turkey, but that I stopped eating dinner with a group of people regularly. I’m sad to say I haven’t done so frequently since 2013. Roommates I had in residence at U of T all ate at different times or in their rooms while they were doing work. I don’t blame them, I often did the same.

When you study full time and work part time, it’s nearly impossible to match schedules with friends or even roommates to eat together. My friends have even started sending out “save the dates” for their birthday parties up to two months in advance just so we can all make sure we can be present and enjoy a nice dinner together.

Having just moved into Neill-Wycik in January I’ve only met a handful of people, including my roommates. Finding myself with a free evening last Tuesday, I decided to check out Dinner Club. Upon arrival I found the other attendees chatting and eating in the Café. I asked them if this was where the dinner club was, and they kindly showed me where I could grab a plate of food and utensils. With the donations of several members, the cooking team made a delicious mushroom stroganoff with a side of fresh herbs and toasted garlic bread.

We introduced ourselves, spoke about the finer points of reading week and how to best unwind, our programs and how to survive the summer heat in Toronto. Although most people seemed to know each other, they kept me involved and I never felt excluded from the conversation, which was kind of them.

After the entrée it was time for dessert. Non-dairy cookies and crème ice cream (a nice inclusive touch for someone who’s lactose intolerant like myself) and some more stories from some skilled raconteurs.

When all was done, I can say that I had a great time at my first Dinner Club that evening. In a period of our lives when we’re all so busy, it felt like a worthy cause to try to carve out time for a group of friends or even strangers to sit down and have a meal together, which is something so many of us miss out on these days. I will definitely be checking out Dinner Club again in the future.

]]>http://neill-wycik.coop/blog/2019/03/15/dinner-club-experience/feed/0Bachelor Night at Wycikhttp://neill-wycik.coop/blog/2019/03/15/bachelor-night-wycik/
http://neill-wycik.coop/blog/2019/03/15/bachelor-night-wycik/#respondFri, 15 Mar 2019 04:29:50 +0000http://neill-wycik.coop/?p=697By: Alma Hadzimustafic Warning: Spoilers! The anti-climactic second part of The Bachelor finale has finally come to an end. After being left with the dramatic withdrawal of Cassie and the […]

The anti-climactic second part of The Bachelor finale has finally come to an end. After being left with the dramatic withdrawal of Cassie and the elimination of Tayisha and Hannah, we all wondered what Colton would do. With plenty of chips, cupcakes, and cookies brought to the event, we were readily set on this two hour endeavour.

The very beginning started out with a high-stakes moment where Colton had a heart-to-heart with Cassie in her apartment. He pretty much delivered a monologue about his love for Cassie and the sacrifices he had made to get one last shot with her. Cassie was incredibly hesitant in expressing strong feelings towards Colton, but nonetheless, she decides to give their relationship another shot. A consistent quote of the episode was Colton saying, “we’ll take it day by day.” This was a strong start to the episode, however, it was clear to me and everyone watching that this enthusiastic couple was solid enough to make it. So we wondered, “How will they fill the next hour and a half of the episode with content?” There are usually two ladies in the running by now, so this already lowered our expectations of a dramatic outcome.

Another highlight was Cassie meeting Colton’s family. In nerves, Cassie proceeds to reiterate how unsure she is about her feelings in this relationship. Colton’s family members were not thrilled and were highly skeptical of Cassie, but with love, they did not want to see Colton’s heart get broken again.

On their rock climbing picnic date, Cassie felt comfortable enough to open up to Colton about her relationship fears; mainly that she did not want another controlling relationship. Side note: I could not stop staring at their teeth! Everyone has extremely whitened teeth, and probably a great dental hygienist!

Later on, during their Majorca Spain vacation, the two spend the night and the big question is asked… Will Colton finally lose his virginity? During their dinner date, it is apparent that Cassie is more enthusiastic about developing a relationship with Colton, but has not yet moved past her hesitancy about their future.

During the live interview with Cassie and Colton, we see that these two ended up as complete lovebirds. It seemed that after their special night, they were both on the same page. In a super cheesy ending to their broadcasted relationship, the two danced as the band Air Supply played and rose petals dropped from the sky.

I asked to hear from one of the audience members Joanna who shared that this season is “…the least dramatic season I’ve ever seen.” She also went on to explain how other seasons had higher stakes and will be more memorable.

Finally, the next Bachelorette was announced to be Hannah Brown. The audience was not very welcoming of her as she seemed quite ditsy and could not formulate a complete sentence at all. All-in-all, the night was a success filled with cringe and laughter.

]]>http://neill-wycik.coop/blog/2019/03/15/bachelor-night-wycik/feed/0Somewhere Green in Wycikhttp://neill-wycik.coop/blog/2019/03/09/somewhere-green-wycik/
http://neill-wycik.coop/blog/2019/03/09/somewhere-green-wycik/#respondSat, 09 Mar 2019 19:13:08 +0000http://neill-wycik.coop/?p=690By Alex B. It’s no secret that the rooms in Neill-Wycik can feel like tiny, dark prison cells, and I’m sure many students living here are wondering what they can […]

It’s no secret that the rooms in Neill-Wycik can feel like tiny, dark prison cells, and I’m sure many students living here are wondering what they can do to decorate and class-up their bedrooms without the use of nails and paint, thus losing their security deposits. I strongly suggest buying a plant or two for your bedroom or common space.

When I was looking at local greenhouses around the city, I was discouraged by the price of floor plants, which could cost upwards of a few hundred dollars. However, one of my friends suggested looking at IKEA, and now I’m obsessed. The floor plant shown in the picture cost me $29.99 (called the Dracaena Massangeana for those interested) and is extremely easy to take care of. IKEA also has an insane selection of plants of various sizes at extremely reasonable prices, as well as an extensive selection of faux-plants for those afraid of the commitment of looking after a living one. If you don’t have a friend that can drive you to IKEA to transport your plant (which is an extremely fun day trip by the way), look for posters at the beginning of each school year for Neill Wycik IKEA trips in which transportation is provided.

There are also many benefits to having indoor plants in your home, such as reducing carbon dioxide levels, reducing harmful toxins in the air, and there are also studies suggesting that having plants in your home can improve concentration and productivity, boost your mood and reduce stress levels!

]]>http://neill-wycik.coop/blog/2019/03/09/somewhere-green-wycik/feed/0Moving into Neill-Wycikhttp://neill-wycik.coop/blog/2019/02/27/moving-neill-wycik/
http://neill-wycik.coop/blog/2019/02/27/moving-neill-wycik/#respondThu, 28 Feb 2019 00:46:10 +0000http://neill-wycik.coop/?p=673By Minyoung Jang It was really hot when I first moved in to Neill-Wycik. To just shortly introduce Neill-Wycik, this is a building where students live cooperatively in order to live affordably. So […]

To just shortly introduce Neill-Wycik, this is a building where students live cooperatively in order to live affordably. So even though Neill-Wycik has the best spot in Toronto downtown, it is accessible for students with rent that is well below the market rates.

To move in, I arrived at the Neill-Wycik cafe at my assigned time where I signed several papers and got keys for my room and mailbox.

Then I went up to my room where it was empty when I first moved in.

Now it’s cozy like pictures below:

It took about 2 hours to clean up my room and organize my things.

What I brought here: pillow, blanket, multi tap, towels, things for my make up, plates, clothes, warm blanket. But I also had to buy things like a hair dryer, flat iron, hanger, kitchen stuff, notepad and etc.

The electric pad was really helpful during the winter.

So me and my 4 others share one kitchen which looks like this.

We had to buy or bring all the appliances like microwave, toaster, blender, and other things.

We also need to buy or bring plates etc.

I brought my plates here, but it is better to just go and buy some at Dollarama. They have so many cheap and nice kitchen stuffs at Dollarama.

I thought the bathroom would be actually really bad.

But it wasn’t not that bad at all.

Because most importantly, hot water is well provided.

I had to bring or buy all those things in the photo, including bathroom cleaning supplies and towels.

First day moving into Neill-Wycik was so chaotic, but now I feel like home here.

It is really warm and cozy.

I hope many people who are moving to Toronto will know Neill-Wycik, and move into this cool apartment.

There are so many good events here where you can make friends, and the staff are totally nice.

Hope my post will help someone who’s looking for a place to live in Toronto.